Outdoors
Dave Sartwell
—
The fishing has just been spectacular.
We went groundfishing on Saturday with Peter Hines and his son Brian. Rounding the breakwater at 8 a.m., we headed east, running out about 12 miles to a place called the Funny Hump at 70'23.6 X 42.32.5. If you look at your chart you will see that the bottom rises up to 198, 210 and 217 feet. All around this hump the bottom really drops away.
On our way out we saw whales, a huge pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins and scads of tuna. Half the fun of fishing is to observe all of the wildlife that surrounds you all day. When we got to our destination there was already a big party boat and two other smaller crafts parked on the hump.
We moved a bit east of them and started our own drift. The wind was light and the current negligible, so I hooked the lines up with 10-ounce weights. I like to fish the tandem rig called a Seawolfe Cod Rig. Although it comes in several colors, I have the best luck with the pink plastic shrimp.
These come with a swivel on the end to hitch to your line and a clasp on the bottom that the weight hitches to. I like these rigs because the clasp is fairly malleable so that it will release if the weight gets caught up on the bottom. That way you don't lose a lot of line and your rig.
I always use fresh clams. They cost a bit more, but I think they give up a stream of smell and goodies that make them irresistible to the fish on the bottom. I am always generous in the portions I put on the hook.
I use Penn reels like the old Senators, 113h, #49, etc. Over the years I have picked up a collection of them. They are pretty easy to service, parts are available and, if you keep them oiled and clean, they seem to last forever. The Ugly Stick rods I use have a sensitive tip but a stiff butt section that make an ideal boat rod.
Braided line is the best to use. I know the party boats won't let you bring it on board because it is difficult to work with if gets tangled with other lines. However, because it does not stretch much, you can feel every vibration when the weight is dragging over the bottom. It is also much thinner than mono so you can go up in test size and pack more line on the reel. The mono is far less expensive, but is nowhere near as sensitive to the bite.
We drifted a short ways and started to get some action. The haddock were there, but they were fairly small. We were fishing in about 220 feet of water. I decided to go a little deeper. We moved just a little bit east of the hump to a ridge that runs Northwest to Southeast on the 13730 line at a depth of between 280 and 300 feet.
No sooner had our rigs reached the bottom when we really started to get into some big bottom fish. Brian hauled up a huge wolf fish and Peter cranked up a couple of really nice haddock. The skipper kicked in a few prizes as well. A cod or two, a hake, more haddock and several redfish joined the fish tote as well. Within an hour we had really filled the bin. We cleaned up the boat and headed back in, striking a thick fog bank just off the coast.
We rounded the breakwater but never saw it until we got into the mooring area just behind it.
On Thursday night Mike and I went out to see if we could find a striper or two after work. I picked him up on the dock behind his store and we putted on out through the harbor. At 4:00 it seemed liked we were going to get blown off the water, but by 6:00 it was wonderfully calm.
We worked the incoming tide in and around Brace Cove for a couple of hours. It is a great place to fish, but you have to be very careful in that there are some wicked boulders that get covered by the tide. So, if you go in there, especially on the northern side, really pay attention.
Using chunk bait, we chummed the rocks with very little success. We were about to leave when I really got a hard strike. It was only on for a moment or two when it threw the hook, but it was a good fish. Mike was more successful than I. A few minutes later he pulled in the first keeper of the night.
We decided to try in next to the huge boulders in around Norman's Woe. We slid right in next to the big rock and set an anchor. We started a vigorous chum line and soon had some small hits.
It was a bit confusing because there were nibbles, not the big strike you would expect from a striper. On one such touch I set the hook and brought a small black bass to the boat. Question answered.
By this time the huge golden moon filled the eastern sky, it's light shimmering across the bay. The house lights twinkled on the shoreline. And then it struck my line hard. I yanked up on the rod and set the hook. Like with the Brace Cove fish, I had it on for only a few seconds.
Mike then got a strike and landed the second keeper of the night. We fished on into the dark, having fun on the warm night air, gassing to each other on nothing important, just being.
We turned on the stern light, started the motor, pulled the anchor and burbled our way back through the dark to the mooring. Another great night on the water.
